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Kincaid/Kincaid Versus the Time-Travelling Jedi
Dramatis Personae * Kincaid, Our Hero * D'Tilsea, the Time-Travelling Jedi * Longfang, Random Starport Guy #1 * James, Random Starport Guy #2 * Maelstrom, the Emperor * Erah'lien, some fiesty Twi'lek * Axel, a pissed off stoner Scene 1: The Starport Starport - Bespin The starport is a collection of landing pads all grouped together and interconnected with walkways. The thin pads extend outward from the various access entrances and are lined with focus lights spaced 1 meter apart all around the edge to help patrons keep their balance and not get too close to falling over. The walkways all converge toward the center control tower where they can gain access to the rest of Cloud City. The air's thin and there's a constant breeze with mist from the clouds that keep everything outside slightly damp. Having heard of issues out this way, D'Tilsea has decided that she wants to make herself useful after her *cough* rather lengthy hiatus. Of course, the fact that she really doesn't have any contact with the current Council yet (emphasis on the yet part) doesn't help. She's one who's used to doing as she sees fit in command of large numbers of troops, and so she turned her -old- starfighter towards the rumored location of difficult times. It's like the days she recalls when systems were rattling sabers before seceding from the Republic. Anyhow, leaving her hyperdrive ring in the hands of an ally nearby, she flew her little fighter in towards Bespin and contacted the control tower. When she lands however, the little ship extends its landing gear and the canopy opens to let her leap down from her lofty perch, so to speak. She hasn't really gone to the trouble of changing her armor at all since she doesn't see much point to it. However, she removes the helmet and leaves tosses it up into the cockpit, "Ar-Four, lock'er up tight and contact me if you have any issues." she states in her mezzo-soprano voice as her all-too-blue eyes scan the starport. Today is a normal day for fang having just arrived off the medical shuttle, his now coppery toned skin gleeming in the docking bay lights. He still scratches from time to time, although its mostly due to the effects of the treatments he was under. His heavy booted feet making echoing sounds on the landing pads floor as walks around aimlessly. Kincaid steps off of one of the public transports he took to arrive on this so-called jewel of Bespin. A trash heap is more of what it is, or so he considers it. Finishing off the cigaro he was smoking on the shuttle (much to the dismay of several of the other passengers), he tosses it aside on the ground and then smashes it out with his boot. He's hard of interesting tidings from these parts, and the possibility of a bit of work as a hired hand won't hurt for a few extra credits. The kneejerk reflex of the ultra-blue haired jedi when she sees the styling of Kincaid's armor is a bit of a grin. At first it's as if she's seeing something familiar. And then... the overall look strikes her, the smoking, and well... there's one simple thing that seems wrong on so many levels. She doesn't -quite- stumble in her steps, but there's a distinct similarity in at least the -outward- design between her armor plates, and that of the Storm Commando suit... But then she recovers from the moment of shock and shakes her head. "Ar-Four, this is not going to be as easy as I'd hoped.." she mutters. Fang turns his massive head as he smells the cigaro and pauses to look at the black armored fellow and then the woman who just recently arrived his big black orbs focusing on the pair. Then reaching up with his fingers to scratch just behind his neck. Kincaid quirks his head slightly to the side, noticing the woman with blue hair. It's not something he has seen often, of course his experiences with other cultures has been to kill, maim, destroy and pillage first and learn about them later. His eyes flick to the alien scratching his neck, narrowing his eyes briefly, juding whether or not the motion is innocent or that of one going for a weapon. He pauses for a moment and looks at the woman again. "Nice outfit. Was there a costume party and no one invited me? A pity, I would have gone to find a wookiee to skin." A smirk crosses his lips as the mental image goes to his mind. Why anyone would want... D'Tilsea shakes her head which sets her almost shoulder-length hair to shifting like blue liquid. "A wookiee to skin. I imagine said wookiee might take offense to such an attempt. It might end up with arms and legs that are no longer attached to the one attempting such.. at least in my experience with their culture, that tends to be the reaction to attacks on their person that one should expect." It's all said so calmly, and as she starts walking towards Kincaid, that it might actually fool someone (maybe) into thinking that she is as calm as the words seem. "I am told that the ships of the Republic, became the ships of the Galactic Empire. I presume the same holds true for their ground forces." she adds. "Let one be insulted if they are here." Kincaid calmly shrugs a shoulder. His eyes go distant as they focus on nothing at all, his way of scanning around to see what else is nearby. A moment later and a quick blink and they are refocused on the woman. "Republic? Heh. That's old news. Galactic Empire too, in a way." He sighs softly, "Things were far more secure with the Empire in charge. These questions you ask are strange though. You don't have some sort of brain defect do you?" "Brain defect?" asks D'Tilsea. "I should say not." Her accent is odd, old school Coruscanti since that's where she was raised.. among the temple. She hooks her thumbs in her belt and smirks a bit, "But secure at what price? I suppose I was fortunate to have missed the purges, the tyranny. I have only returned now, after all of that. The war is long over, for which I am happy. No more ordering soldiers to their deaths for me. But you wear the armor of ground forces. Might I inquire what unit you -were- with?" she asks towards Kincaid. "A life can be replaced with another life. Death is only too steep a price to pay for those who lack the conviction of their belief. Although I must say I take exception to this talk of tyranny and purges. I prefer to think of it as a cleansing. There was a lot of filth." He pauses and thinks a moment, "I'm not sure what to make of this talk about returning and such. Did you get lost on some barren world or some such nonsense, and what I will say about my service is that I worked with other talented men who knew how to get the job done." "Take exception all you like, but in my experience, a man who wishes to lie to himself, simply calls one thing by a different name. Tyranny is tyranny no matter what you call it." offers D'Tilsea. "Fortunately, that is a bygone era just as much as the age of the Republic is." She smiles a bit, almost wintery and shrugs her shoulders, "Let's just say time has passed me by for a while... to me, it has only been a matter of days since my fleet was in battle with General Grevious and his droid ships. I hear he met his end at the hands of General Kinobi. I can only say.. it couldn't have happened to a nicer General." "I don't lie to myself." Kincaid shrugs, and then murmurs under his breath, "Unlike some folks." He gives a casual roll of his eyes and shifts his weight a bit to his left side. "So what are you then?" He isn't quite sure what he thinks of her yet. Either she's insane, or suffering from some sort of narcotic-induced dillusion. Perhaps it could be some sort of side effect from mental torture, maybe her mind broke after dealing with harsh treatment. "What I am, is a Talarian.. if you wanted to know my birth species. But I am D'Tilsea, Knight of the Jedi Order... at your service." offers the blue-haired woman as she bow sher head forward. "Please accept my apologies if my words are undiplomatic. I have found myself acting more often as a General, than as an ambassador." Kincaid takes this in for a moment, and then speaks softly, though his tone holds a certain malice to it. "Jedi. Knight. I see." His eyes are wholly focused on her now, as if he could bore a hole straight through her just by staring. His gaze is hard and does not hide the contempt that he feels at the moment. "Come here to meddle about in the affairs of others, I assume?" "I thought I would simply come out here and find out if anyone -wished- my aid. If not, I would not force the issue." offers D'Tilsea. "I have no official authority to do so, so I would not want to overstep anything. It's not as if I think I have the right to tell others how to live their lives. I would -prefer- to avoid unnecessary loss of life. Wouldn't you agree?" she asks, meeting the other man's gaze levelly. Kincaid continues to stare at the woman, "Actually I'm not against the unnecessary loss of life, especially if that life is not mine." A cold smirk crosses his lips. "The Jedi, always so meddlesome in the affairs of the galaxy. Makes one wonder why there was a purge in the first place, and why most of the galaxy didn't care at all about it. Curious, isn't it?" "Only those who prefer the deaths of others, to the lives of all, would speak with such a caustic tone of voice. I feel sorry for you. You have been consumed by the bitterness of war and that is something I have seen plenty of. Have I not just explained that I am not here to -meddle- as you seem to think I am? Perhaps you should learn to listen more and prattle less?" inquires D'Til with a bit of a grin before she turns as if departing, "May the Force be with you." she offers. Kincaid stares at the woman as she turns his back to him and his face becomes bedrock granite. There is a fury within him that causes his eyes to harden as he continues to stare. After a few brief moments he states in a calm, but determined voice, "I don't need magic powers..." he trails off, ending the sentence with some derogatory remark that little children probably should never hear. His hand goes to the small of his back where he grips the holster of his concealed blaster and unsheathes it and holds it calmly to his side before raising it to point at her back and squeezing the trigger. D'Tilsea assumed this man was a bundle of rage. It turns out she was right. She was focused on trying to find his intent with the force... so focused that she missed the obvious intent and is struck by the blaster set to stun. The blue effect sinks into her body and she shudders for a moment before summoning the force to hold back the effect. She turns slowly towards Kincaid and raises a slender blue eyebrow, "Please do not try that again. I would like to avoid fighting anyone at this point if I could." she offers as she folds her arms over her torso, inclining her head to one side. Damn.. stun settings always sting.... Kincaid shrugs in a nonchalant manner, "Well since you said pleeeeeaaaaaaaase." He drawled out this last word, letting sarcasm flood out of him while doing it. "Tell you what. If you are so interested in getting reaquainted with the galaxy, let me take you to meet someone. If you agree I will not attempt to harm you again, unless you take actions to harm me, and in that case I will not be using a stun setting." "And who might I ask, will we be meeting?" asks D'Tilsea. She just studies the man there for a few more moments. "So you are telling me that if I agree, then we will not have to fight, but if I decide not to take you up on your offer, that you will continue to fruitlessly attempt to harm me?" With her arms folded that way, her hand is really quite close to her lightsaber it seems. "I'm not telling you anything, just making a bit of a proposition, if you will." He provides a brief smile that shows at the corners of his mouth. "This person is someone who will have much interest in meeting someone of your abilities, his name nor his identity is truly important here, but I will give you my word that you will be very interested to meet them." Now that she's recovered from the shot fully, D'Tilsea shakes her head mildly. "I think this person's identity may be of -some- importance. Mind you, I am not saying that I will not meet him, for you have me curious, but I would very much like to know a bit more about him before agreeing to such." She stays put there, mentally preparing for whatever may be coming. Preparing, preparing.. yes... always preparing. "Very well, I do believe the current Emperor would like very much to meet you." He pauses for a moment. Outwardly he is a picture of calm, but inwardly his fury has peaked. "But, make no mistake, it can be done willingly, or unwillingly. Makes no difference to me." And with that last word he goes ahead and flips the weapon from stun to kill and pulls the trigger. The fury of a thousand burning suns blazing in his dark eyes. The snap-hiss of the electric blue lightsaber blade that engages just in time to catch the blaster bolt and send it richocheting up into the air is rather distinctive. "Funny, I haven't had the chance to agree or decline, but you should control your anger. Anger leads to pain. Pain leads to suffering. Suffering leads to the Dark Side. Call your Emperor... I will meet with him if he so desires, but I will not be fired upon again, is that understood?" James walks down the boarding ramp of the Dominon smiling with his blue eyes bright and twinkling humming an old Alderaanian tune as he goes. At least he's doing this until he hears the sound of weapons fire nearby. The humming stops, the smile and twinkle fades and the man mutters "I knew I should have stretched that meeting a little longer." The torment of rage that is Kincaid's mind clears and he nods softly, "Very well. Let us go there then." He goes ahead and puts his blaster away again, taking a glance over his shoulder at the source of humming. "The sooner we go, the better I think. Otherwise we may both find ourselves a little busier." He smirks and then motions with a hand in the direction of the interior of Cloud City. A smirk, and D'Tilsea narrows those eyes that match the blade of her saber almost -flawlessly-. She flips the weapon about to a reverse grip and then disengages it as she nods, "Lead. I shall follow." she states. She reclips the weapon to her belt and rolls her neck, "Shall we then?" she asks as she moves to fall in behind Kincaid. James waits a few moments and after no more blaster fire rings out his smile returns not quite as bright and he shrugs before beginning to make his way towards the city's concourse at a casual pace. Kincaid nods, "At least I know you won't stab me in the back while I'm defenseless." He offers up a smirk and then starts moving towards the Concourse, and further into Cloud City proper. His eyes flickering from side to side as he scans the area around them as he walks. Training and instincts. They are the cornerstone of his existence and have served him well up to this point. To think, he came here for another Jedi and found this one. Fortune favors the Empire indeed. Fortune, depending on whose fortune it is. "You are right. There is a difference between the two of us after all, isn't there?" asks D'Til as she marches along afterwards. It's one of those habits, to match the pace of the person she's walking with. Military habits. Scene 2: Before Maelstrom Imperial Gardens and Estates - Bespin Perhaps out of place in a city of metal and serene white walls, the gardens are a verdant gem in the heart of Cloud City. Sprawling lawns extend outwards, broken in places by accents to the garden's loveliness. A hedgemaze is off to a side, though in truth, it's not too big. But a gazebo rests at its center, offering some privacy. Trees, tall and swaying slightly in the gentle breeze that the vents let in, reach upwards towards the colorful skies of Bespin, visible through the clear roof of this place. Here and there, colorful flowers bloom and statues sprout up like marble plants, offering their beauty as kindly as the other flowers. In one area, a small stage and dance floor is even set up for entertainment purposes. All in all, the garden gives the feel of relaxation in a green paradise. Kincaid escorts D'Tilsea to the Imperial district of Cloud City, an area that he is quite fond of over other areas of this place. He moves quickly to the entrance of a secured area and nods to one of the guards. He steps forward and greets one of the guardsmen on duty and reports that he has a Jedi Knight in his custody. He then steps back to D'Tilsea. "We must wait a moment. It may take time." The term.. custody makes D'Tilsea's brow raise, "I am your prisoner then am I?" she asks as she follows, "I thought that the invitation implied the status of -guest- at the very least." She is amused to say the least though, and enjoys the sheer confidence the man possesses. The Imperial Estate isn't exactly what one would imagine when they think of the Emperor and the Dark Side. Rather then being .. dark and forboding, the garden's are lush and inviting with obvious care given to the grounds. At this particular moment, the Emperor has found himself off in the direction of the simple gazebo, speaking with someone that obviously serves as an aide. After a moment, Maelstrom looks up, only to watch as two guards begin to approach him, seemingly escorting Erah'lien in his direction as one stands on each side of her. Before they even have a chance to speak, a hand lifts to silence them and he's casting a look in the direction of the estate's entry, "It would seem we have more guests." The hand lowers then, only to claim a comlink from his belt which is lifted to his lips so that it can be spoken softly into, no doubt informing the gate guards to let the 'guests' through. Erah'lien isn't coming quietly. Escorted though she is, the Twi'lek is clearly angry, face flushed and lekku twitching with aggitation behind her. "eedo miia rogana miia wanga oova awana 'cha wie buddo wie chaan si nee bobba chi nee wanga" The shouts of rage carry easily to any ears nearby, but they aren't in Basic. The tone of voice, however, is clearly displeased. The unarmed woman, however, isn't putting up much physical protest, simply giving tugs and scowls to the pair of guards escorting her within the grounds. Kincaid shrugs, "I suppose I could have used the term emissary, but I'm not sure if that would have been fitting. From what I have gathered, you don't quite represent the Jedi Order, now do you? So then, what term would you have me use? Guest implies a more friendly relationship, and I don't think that is quite fitting either." He smirks at her while keeping his eyes on the door. It is a few more moments and he has been informed that he has the go ahead to enter, he motions with a hand for the woman to follow him as he enters. Another guard directs them to where Maelstrom can be found. While they walk to the gazebo he glances aside to the woman, "Not what you were expecting, was it?" Once he approaches the Emperor he slams a fist to his chest in a salute that he became familiar with while conducting some BlackOps mission in some forsaken part of the galaxy and kneels, waiting for Maelstrom to address him. "One can be a guest without being a friend. There are many sorts of guests. Haven't you ever had guests that you wished had never showed up, but were guests nonetheless?" asks D'Tilsea as she shrugs. When the doors open and Kincaid offers that question, she replies, "What was I supposed to expect? I have no idea who this man is, so I have no expectations to have betrayed." She does follow still, mostly out of curiosity moreso than anything more. There is an oppressive feeling here though, an undercurrent that delies the beauty of the gardens. She doesn't comment on that though, and merely nods her head in greeting to the man before her. Speaking at this point would be the height of rudeness, but the sheer malevolence of the anger seeping off of the Twi'lek over there has her electric blue eyes flickering in that direction. . o o O O (It sounds like that particular guest has no desire to be here...) she thinks. At the rantings and ravings of Erah'lien, a scowl begins to take hold of the man's features as he casts a quick glance in her direction, "Silence yourself, or I will do it for you. You already know that I am more then capable of doing so." The comlink is returned to his belt and then his hands move to slip beneath the cloak, no doubt to clasp and nestle against the small of his back. It's only then that he allows his attention to shift in the direction of Kincaid and his 'guest', offering the former a curt nod of his head, even as his lips begin to curl into a smirk, "Rise." It's then that he looks towards D'Tilsea, offering the woman a longer glance, "An odd choice for a companion." It's clear that the words are directed at Kincaid, even though he's looking at D'Tilsea. Erah's eyes narrow to slits as she glares at Maelstrom, tension evident through her entire posture. "You really aren't endearing yourself to me. At all. Do you honestly think I have any inclination to cooperate with you?" she sneers at him, casting dagger-filled glares over to Kincaid at D'Tilsea as well. She considers speaking for a moment before just clamping her mouth shut once more and returning her eyes to Maelstrom. But she does remain silent, setting her jaw and simply glaring at him. Kincaid bows his head, "Indeed, Your Majesty. This..." He motions to D'Tilsea, "... woman claims to be a Jedi Knight. She has a lightsaber and seems skilled in its useage, though I am unsure as to what her true identity or purpose are. She claims to have been fighting in the Clone Wars a few days ago." He offers up a shrug, more of a gesture of: I think she's off her freaking rocker! than anything else. "I asked her here because I felt that you may be interested in knowing of her presence here upon Bespin, your Majesty." "I did not have time to go into detail your Majesty. Your man here offered me a rather -pointed- invitation. It was difficult to deflect such a polite offer." states D'Tilsea, her words full of all kinds of innuendos and inside jokes. "How could I refuse such a meeting with one he calls Emperor and whom he obviously holds in high esteem. Had I time to explain more to him, I would have explained that I was in close proximity to a black hole and apparently remained there for some time. Time passes in odd ways when one is that close to the event horizon... I only barely managed to escape. It was... well it felt like something around a half hour to me, but apparently forty five years passed..." she shrugs, "I do not know more detail than that. I was too busy trying to keep the Ever Victorious from falling apart while the crew got off to do any detailed scans or ponder the scientific theory of it all." Listening to what Kincaid has to say, Maelstrom gives the man another curt nod of his head, "Well done, Lord Dakar. You have not disappointed me." Then, he's allowing his eyes to shift back in the direction of Erah'lien. "I do not have to endear myself to you, Twi'lek. Your purpose here will become clear, shortly. Then, you will be thanking me for having brought you here." Finally, he's casting a look back in the direction of D'Tilsea, studying the woman for a moment as she recants her story. "This is an interesting .. tale that you tell." Hands unclaps and fall from beneath his cloak, coming to rest casually by his side, "I won't test your abilities, for I trust Lord Dakar and it would be a mere waste of my time. So, if we consider what you say to be true, what are you doing here? Why have you not returned to your Jedi Temple." "Uh huh... right... " The Twi'lek mutters softly to herself as her arms lift to fold over her chest. Golden eyes travel about the grounds, studying the corners and openings. There aren't a lot of places to run. Not that she isn't considering it. While few words actually leave her lips, there are many possibilities and plans running through her mind as she peers at the guards who brought her here. The figures of Kincaid and D'Tilsea are, for the moment, entirely inconsequential to her. Kincaid's eyes flicker with annoyance in the tones that both the Twi'lek and the Jedi speak in. Respect for superiors was something that was lost in these two apparantly. The thought of whipping out his snap baton and cracking the Twi'lek across the back of the neck skimmed his thoughts, but he instead calms his thoughts and gazes at nothing in general, allowing his vision to encompass both parties in the event that something needs to be done. He nods to Maelstrom respectfully in return for his remarks and maintains his vigil. Should any of these two women make a move, he'll need to act quickly. Well, it's difficult to respect one's superior, when it's not their superior. "With all due respect your Majesty, I am a woman of action. I reported in... sent word to the temple or had word sent, and then heard about trouble brewing in Bespin. I assume that much like it was four decades ago, the mines of bespin are of critical importance to anyone who fields a military. So I thought I might come and -offer- to assist any who wished it. I was not wanting to poke my nose in where it was not wanted. I merely wished to make myself available. Little did I know that I would be in such demand by such an august personage as yourself.... at the behest of your man here of course." states D'Tilsea as she shows that yes, she's dealt with bureaucratic red tape before at the very least. HEr eyes slide to the Twi'lek once more and then back to Maelstrom, "May I inquire as to why this woman is being held against her will your Majesty?" For the moment, little attention is paid to Erah'lien or Kincaid. He's completely aware of both, but neither one requires his immediate attention. As such, Maelstrom focuses his eyes on D'Tilsea, merely giving a nod of his head, though the smirk remains firmly upon his lips, "Bespin requires no aid. Especially not any from those of the Jedi Order. As it stands, there are already enough Jedi snooping around and interferring. I am beginning to concur with Vichten's assessment that the Jedi must be beyond the incidents with the miner's. Why else would you all be here?" It's then that he looks back to Erah'lien before looking back to D'Tilsea, "Why she is here, is none of your concern. Nor will it become your concern. I trust I make myself clear on that matter, Jedi?" The gates are closed, but the grounds are large enough. Eyes settle briefly on the hedge maze for a moment before shifting back. The Twi'lek shifts her weight slowly from one foot to the other, silently observing those present and allowing D'Tilsea to draw most of the attention. Which works well for her. If she's going to move, now is the time to do it. While the words finish leaving Maelstrom's lips, Erah'lien's posture suddenly shifts and she turns to bolt to the hedge maze she placed in her mind's eye moments before. Kinkaid's eyes blaze with fury as he watches the Twi'lek turns. As she turns his arm reaches out, a long, slender black tube comes sliding into his hand from where he had it stored in the forearm of his coat. Set up for just such occassions, the black tube is actually a baton. As the motion of his arm continues forth, directed at Erah'lien, the baton extends, a long, solid black arm. "Halt!" He snarls as he swings. The Empire. We swing first and talk second. *Thwak!* The sound of Kincaid's baton striking the armored forearm of D'Tilsea is difficult to miss. The Jedi reflexively stuck out her arm to try to prevent the Twi'lek from being struck. Anyone who watched would know it was an unthinking... kneejerk reflex. As the blow lands on her arm and stings even through the armored shell, she withdraws her arm and then looks towards Maelstrom, "My apologies for interfering. I will withdraw myself from this station if my aid is not welcome. I will keep out of your affairs for the moment as well. Please forgive me your Majesty." Okay, she wanted to give Erah at least a chance to get a few feet and then she's on her own... but didn't want to start a brawl that would get -someone- killed here. This was the best compromise she had. Even as Erah begins her break for 'freedom', Maelstrom's eyes are shifting in her direction, though he makes no move to stop her. With the gates sealed and the guards within, there is little possibility of her escape. With that, he allows his gaze to shift back to D'Tilsea, just in time to see the baton come down across the Jedi's arm. This elicits a soft *Tsk*Tsk* from the Emperor, followed by a shake of his head, "You would do well to mind your business, Jedi. You may be a 'Protector of Innocent', but you have little authority here." A pause, then, and he's looking over towards Kincaid, "Secure her, Lord Dakar. Just don't kill her, for she has her uses." Then, a final look back to D'Tilsea, "I will stress my previous point, Jedi. Do not interfere in matters on Bespin. If you have a concern, take it to your Senate. While we may be at peace, I might be inclined to view the Jedi's envolvement here as an effort to undermine the Imperial Remnant. An action that I will take very seriously." Erah doesn't halt. She doesn't even hesitate as D'Tilsea blocks Kincaid's baton from striking her, though she hears the loud *thwak!* as it resounds behind her. The Twi'lek continues on her path to the hedge maze, unobstructed and uninterrupted. The hedge maze is her destination, and she disappears into the bushes as they appear before her. There is no set path as she weaves into the maze, which will make things exceptionally 'fun' for poor Kincaid who's been tasked to retrieve her. Seeing his baton swing blocked by the Jedi illicits a snarl from Kincaid. He quickly composes himself and nods, "Yes, your Majesty." He turns in the direction of Erah'lien. He takes off running after the woman, swining out his blaster pistol that's stored behind his back and making sure it's set on Stun. As he runs towards the hedgemaze, he barks orders at another guard who begins relaying orders via commlink. With that said he charges into the maze, persuing the Twi'lek. "As I said your Majesty, I had no desire to interfere. Merely a reflex. I have no intention of provoking international incidents. As for my invitation to visit you here... I imagine that it will not be long before local security forces wish to speak with you about your man's... methods of invitation. I believe shooting at someone's back in public is still frowned upon, is it not?" That said, she turns and starts heading towards the gates. "I will depart Bespin as soon as the local authorities see fit to allow me to do so." In fact, D'Tilsea, Kincaid, and Maelstrom are basically inside the gardens, not horribly far from the gates or the hedge maze, and it was a rather civil discussion until Erah took her leave and made a run for it. As it stands, there's a bit of a scuffle going on, one that D'Tilsea is extracting herself from, and that Maelstrom is, in his majestic way... appearing unconcerned about even while Kincaid does his Emperor's bidding once more. The gates to the estate open and the first person through is Axel. With fire in his eyes and a large riot blaster in his hands, he leads a contingent of a dozen heavily armed Paladin Security soldiers. Through the gates, there looks to be at least another dozen or so waiting outside for further instructions. Weapons are at the ready, most of which are similar stun weapons to the one their boss carries, though a few carry slugthrowers and shotguns. Axel had spent enough time in his life around Sith and Jedi both to know that slugs were a helluva lot harder to be deflected back at him. "I want answers," Axel exclaims as he draws closer into the estate and towards Maelstrom. "I put up with a good bit of... Let's just say I've had enough, and someone is going to start speaking and they're going to start speaking now." There was venom in his voice, spittle flying with every syllable as he was projecting his voice loud enough for half the platform to hear. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw every damned one of you in a holding cell and let you rot." Watching D'Tilsea, Maelstrom simply offers the woman another nod of his head, "His methods are his methods. They work, and that is all that matters. Enjoy your stay and your trip, Jedi. Do pass along my regards to Master Skywalker and Valios, please." Before he has a chance to turn towards the maze, the Estate doors open and in comes the security. There's a frown that crosses the Emperor's lips and as he turns in the direction of the approaching Axel, his hands grip the edges of his cloak, drawing it tightly around him. "One reason? You do not have enough men present to escort me and mine to a holding cell." It's said as a simple statement of fact and as the words leave his lips, he's looking in the direction of his own men, offering a slight shake of his head, "Secondly, while you may be security for Cloud City, your are not security within the grounds of my Estate. I have paid my dues, in full, for the priviliage of this place." A single step is taken in the direction of Axel now. "As for the events that you speak of, there was a simple misfiring of a weapon, to which the Jedi so graciously deflected harmlessly away." The Twi'lek is weaving through the maze in random directions, not entirely certain which way she's going. But she can hear footsteps somewhere else in the maze, and her own steps halt for a moment to place their proximity to her. Erah's eyes scan around in a futile attempt to orient herself before she turns to continue moving deeper into the maze. Axel's hollering, however, does catch her off-guard. Again, her footsteps come to a halt and she turns her head slightly towards the sound of his yelling, pressing herself into a corner to breathe for a moment as she listens to the voices. Kincaid moves as quietly through the hedge maze as he can. Luckily, his armor has a sound absorbent built in, allowing for far quieter movement than had he been clad in something such as normal trooper armor. It was one of the reasons he preferred it. Made pursuits such as this far more interesting. Also, having done a number of operations in natural environments as well as pursuits, he's more than happy to oblige this feisty little Twi'lek. He can sense he is far closer than he was moments before. A small smile creeps to his lips. Seeing the security forces enter, D'Tilsea was already approaching the gate. She lifts her arms and offers a bit of a grin, "I surrender to your custody officer." she offers. "My only weapon is hanging at my belt. You are free to take it. I will not reach for it at all." she states. "Anything I can do to cooperate with you and your people, I am happy to do." And she just stands there, waiting peacefully. The comments by Maelstrom only seem to fuel the fire inside Axel. His glowing blue eyes narrow on the Sith but he bites his tongue for a moment, albeit a brief one, choosing his words carefully. "What goes on inside this estate is one thing, but when it spills into the starports or public areas is entirely another," Axel says. "I want those responsible for what happened in the starport brought in front of me, and neither I nor my men will be leaving until that is done." His eyes turn to the others present, namely the guards. "The weapon used was illegal, and I don't give a damn if you have rights within this estate or not, the transport of illegal weapons through Cloud City is a matter of security that I won't put up with. We go back a ways, let's not test a friendship that was forged in the fires of battle. You might have abilities that I'll never comprehend, but I am not without means of causing pure hell to be unleashed." When D'Tilsea speaks, Axel nods. "And the other?" he asks. "The one who's weapon supposedly misfired? Where is he?" he asks, calming down a bit. Already he's looking to Maelstrom. "One more jedi here on Bespin. I swear it is the GA behind these revolts and their using these pawns to manipulate the lower intelligence miners. There were no problems until recently, and one of the first people we arrest is a Jedi, now here's another, likely sent to pick up where the other left off." Maelstrom never lets his eyes waver from Axel, though he's keenly aware of the events transpiring within the maze. Listening to the man, the Emperor gives another slight nod of his head, "He will not be leaving this estate with you, Axel. You may speak to him, but if punishment is to be dealt out, it will be by my hand and not yours." Releasing one edge of the cloak, his hand drops to the comlink on his belt and he's lifting it to his lips, "Lord Dakar, leave the Twi'lek and return to me. I will deal with her in a moment." Then, the comlink is replaced. "As for the use of an illegal weapon, I will see that any and all fines are paid. I am sure that you have other, more important things to do, then worry about a simple discharge of a weapon. Do you not?" Erah's hearing is good, but with Kincaid's special armor and Axel's yelling, there's no way she'll hear him before he's too close. For a time, she remains motionless, making no sound whatsoever save for the near-silent sound of her breathing, eyes cast up towards the upper edge of the maze while Maelstrom and Axel... talk. The sound of Maelstrom's voice recalling her stalker is barely heard through the bushes, but it is there. She doesn't move, eyes dropping to stare at the door where Kincaid would appear if he chose not to return to the exit of the maze, preparing to run again should she see him. Instincts tell him he is getting closer, but then his commlink beeps and hears the request made, he replies into the commlink in an affirmative, and reverses course to head back out of the hedge maze. Before he exits the hedge maze, he makes sure to resecure his blaster pistol. After several moments he arrives back to Maelstrom and takes a look between Maelstrom and Axel. He turns to Maelstrom and bows his head, "Yes your Majesty?" "Other Jedi arrested here?" asks D'Tilsea. She inclines her head and offers, "I apologize. I had no idea that others of the new Jedi Order had meddled. I only heard about the problems here yesterday and came to find out if I could be of any help to anyone involved. When I got here, I was assaulted and -invited- pointedly to meet with this Emperor." She shrugs her shoulders, not really expecting to be believed, but she just shuts up then and waits for the determination of the constables, hands still in the air so as not to alarm anyone. Axel looks between Maelstrom and Kincaid as Kincaid draws near, meanwhile D'Tilsea's question goes unanswered. "This is your man, I assume? And don't feed me the line of crap that goes along with an accidental misfire." Axel was still pissed, and it was apparent in his words. He pauses for a moment to regain his composure and lights a cigarette. His men were standing behind him, seeming a bit aggitated and wondering what to do. "He managed to capture this jedi and bring her to you, I ask that his punishment be that he is put into my service until the Jedi I mentioned before is recaptured. Sadly, I have no means of holding a sorcerer as adept as he was, and as of this morning, he has disappeared from his cell." Axel grimaces a bit and looks to D'Tilsea for a moment, "As for her, my men will take her belongings, escort her to her ship which will be registered in our databases as to no longer be allowed landing clearance on Bespin, and she will be escorted to a proper jump vector by my own forces. If she does not have a ship, she will be placed on the first available shuttle that's headed to the farthest destination, regardless of where that may be." He looks back to Maelstrom, as if seeing if that was acceptable or if he were going to have further problems. "I do not need a second Jedi in Cloud City to unite with the one who is on the run." Casting a glance over towards Kincaid, Maelstrom doesn't answer the man, but rather, he looks back over towards Axel, "Yes, this is he." There's a pause and the Emperor's hand lifts in an almost dismissive wave, "Consider him attached to your services for the time being. If you've lost the Jedi, then you have bigger problems to deal with. Use him as you see fit, but if he dies in your service, you will explain his loss to Petra's daughter and to herself." Then, the man is turning and beginning to move towards the hedge maze, casting only the briefest of looks back over his shoulder, "Do what you will with the Jedi. She is of no concern to me, nor does she warrant my .. protection. I am sure that you can see yourself out, Axel." With that said, he turns his attention back to the maze, moving only as far as the entrance before he lifts his voice, "I will give you once chance to show yourself, Twi'lek. After that, you will experience pain like you've never felt before." Mental notes are made. Jedi captured and escaped. Running loose... in Bespin. "Is there any way I could talk you into allowing me to retain my possessions? I will pay a fine to cover the cost of the infraction if you wish. I am carrying everything I own in this universe... wearing all of the clothing I possess. I will go and not return... I give you my word on that. My Aethersprite is at the Starport. I can call Ar-Four and have him start prepping it now if you like." Yes, she's doing her best to be cooperative, and she really doesn't want to have to make a new lightsaber, and it's not like she can replace the armor that is fourty years out of date. A slow exhale of breath is given as Kincaid retreats out of the maze. She didn't know she was holding it, but she's breathing again. The news that Maelstrom will be dealing with her does bring a slight wince and she shakes her head a bit, not particularly thrilled about that upcoming event, but it was going to happen regardless. One hand rises to rub the side of her neck and she goes perfectly still as Maelstrom's voice lifts to actually address her, her own voice lifting in response. "You can't possibly expect me to believe you aren't going to inflict pain otherwise." Kincaid bows to Maelstrom, and turns to Axel, "I will grab one or two additional things if that is alright with you. While hunting the Jedi I will be more than assist with other security measures as well." Meaning - he would like to see some heads get split opens like melons, preferably those of some alien persuasion. His gaze goes back to the Jedi and he smirks, "Let this Jedi go and she will bring more. Should freeze her in carbonite and sell her to the highest bidder. She could bring a fair price." "Maybe you should have thought of that before you came here to stir up problems," Axel says towards the female Jedi. "I don't really give a damn if you leave here as naked as the day your whore of a mother spit you out of her womb. I have had enough problems from your order. Feel thankful that I don't have you thrown from a platform. I hear that a person chokes on the gas as they freeze to death on what seems an eternal fall." With that said, he motions for the guards at his side to move forward and disarm the jedi and place her in restraints. "I assure you, I have dealt enough with your kind to know when you are trying to use your little tricks. My men will not hesitate to kill you." Axel gives one more look towards Maelstrom. "Please, have your man report to my offices in four hours time, geared and prepared for hunting down a Jedi." That's when Axel turns to Kincaid, as the man speaks. "She'll leave, and she will deliver a message to others of her order. They are not welcome on Bespin, and that we know of their plans to attempt to bring Cloud City under GA control. With their plans in the open, there is no need to send more, especially once this other jedi is captured." A single hand is lifted and waved, an indication that Maelstrom has heard Axel's request. There's no need for him to verbalize the orders to Kincaid, the man was standing right there, after all. Rather, he allows an almost sardonic smirk to dance across his lips at the reply from Erah, "Oh, you are quite right there. The only difference is whether it's pain that you can tolerate, or pain that will send you into fits and bouts of unconsciousness. The choice is yours, woman." There's a pause and a slight cant of his head, "Accept my offer and show yourself and will discuss what it is that you are doing here. You will have more freedom then if I have to waste time chasing you through my maze." Kincaid goes ahead and saunters off to grab his gear. Will make a fun old time out of this Jedi Hunt. Simply needs a shoulder-attached weapon and a gauntlet that can cause him to go nuclear once Dutch bests him in one versus one combat. For a time, the maze is silent, but that isn't because she's ignoring Maelstrom. Not at all. Erah's actually considering his words. There's not a doubt in her mind that he's likely lying, and that she'll end up in pain regardless. However. Something in the back of her mind tells her that the possibility of finding out why she's here is rather important, and that is worth at least something. Yellow eyes shift about the maze and she peels herself away from the corner where she'd stuck herself and she pauses, looking around for a moment before clearing her throat. "Uh... what if I'm not sure which way is out?" Results of random scrambling and flight: She isn't sure which way she went. It's a legitimate question this time, not meant to purposely annoy or stall as she does indeed attempt to recall her steps. Well, armor can be re-issued, lightsabers can be reconstructed. There really is -no- reason to resist, to fight. The only thing it would accomplish would be to injure or kill many security forces who are merely doing their jobs. However... she does have -one- trick up her sleeve. Clearing her mind, D'Tilsea focuses her will on the workings within her lightsaber. Raw force compresses down and fuses those components into a useless hunk of metal with a crystal within it. This is done as the man approaches to take it. "May I then purchase civilian attire before being escorted out in my altogether then?" She asks. "You'll be taken to your ship and escorted off planet, after we've removed any explosive ordinance such as missiles or torpedoes," Axel says. "Or would you rather I just strip you down and allow my men to let off a bit of steam before sending you over the edge of a platform?" There was still venom in Axel's voice. He'd been through enough headache already. "No, on second thought, I'd rather not have my men tainted in such a fashion." As he speaks, soldiers move up and remove the lightsaber from the woman's possession and put magnacuffs on her. He looks back towards Maelstrom. "Until we meet again," he says then begins moving towards the exit of the estate, his men surrounding the jedi. Picking up his comlink, he calls ahead to the starport and informs security to start pulling any explosive ordinance from the launch tubes of any Aethersprite in the starport. Hopefully, the Jedi's was the only one there. Maelstrom's head snaps to the side as he feels D'Tilsea calling upon the force, but when he realizes that it's for another matter, he merely offers a faint chuckle and the directs his attention back towards the maze, "Find your own way out, then, woman. You are free to roam the grounds of the Estate, as well as the foyer of the manor. You are also free to receive guests and the like, though you will be barred from leaving. Try and sneak out and my guards will simply toss you in one of my holding cells. A treatment that you will not enjoy, rest assured." The Emperor does take a moment to look towards one of his guards, "Try to not let her stay lost in there. If she dies from thirst, you die." Then, it's back towards the maze, "Pull that anger to you and reach out. Feel your surroundings. You will find your way out."